Part four~ Actually, I think this is the longest one. owo;;
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This is what I brought you, this you can keep.
This is what I brought, you may forget me.
Friday glanced over at the sulking twelve-year old in the passenger seat and laughed. "Oh come now, don't pout." Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, she reached over and ruffled the boy's hair. "I'm sure we'll get along just fine."
Valentine scowled, scooting away from the hand. This woman confused him. Back at the orphanage he had threatened her countless times while pointing his knife at her, but she had just laughed in the end and adopted him!
The pale twelve-year old huffed, crossing his arms. He glanced at Friday, and heard Adriyan's words replay in his mind.
"Be careful, Valentine. People don’t like people like us, who are different from them."
He looked away from her, frowning.
---
"Well, we're here." Friday announced, turning off the car. She opened her door and closed it behind her once she had gotten out.
Valentine opened the car door and slipped out, slamming the door shut behind him. He eyed the woman's house, before giving a wide smirk. "Wow. This place is a dump. Are you poor too, old hag?" It wasn't really that bad... Valentine was just hoping if he insulted her enough she'd take him back. Then, he'd turn thirteen in a couple of weeks, get out of there, and maybe go find Adriyan! It was a foolproof plan (in his mind at least).
"Yeah." Friday laughed a little. "I guess it kinda looks like a dump, huh? Don't worry, it looks nicer on the inside. C'mon."
...this woman was against his plans, it seemed. Valentine begrudgingly followed behind her.
---
"...and this is your room." Friday opened the door, revealing a plain room with a bed, dresser, and a couple other pieces of furniture inside.
"It sucks. How boring~" Valentine stuck his tongue out.
"Yeah..." Friday smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't know what you'd like. I'll take you shopping tomorrow to get some stuff. How's that sound?"
...damniiiiiiiiit. This wasn't working! Valentine pouted.
"Are you hungry? Come on, I'll make you something to eat."
Valentine began to follow after her, but his face was attacked. By something small. And black. And furry. Valentine let out a squeak of surprise, stumbling back a bit. He heard Friday start laughing.
"Don't worry, Valentine. That's just Grim. He's such a little spaz Aren't you, Grimmy?" Friday cooed, pulling the little kitten off of Valentine's face.
Valentine hesitated, before reaching out to pet the small kitten. He blinked when Grim spazzed, scratcing one of his fingers. He pulled his hand back to stare at the bleeding appendage, before looking back at Friday. "Black cats bring bad luck, y'know~"
Friday smiled. "But killing one will bring worse luck!"
Valentine blinked. This woman was a strange one indeed... Maybe he could get used to living here... "I'm hungry." the boy announced, spinning around and heading down the stairs. "Make me some food... Friday."
The black-haired woman blinked, then smiled softly. "Sure!" Still cradling little Grim, she followed after her adopted son. "What would you like?"
---
Sometime after his thirteenth birthday, Valentine began having nightmares... of his sister's death.
Valentine groaned, turning over in his bed. His pillow was clutched tightly in his hands. "Christmas..." His eyes snapped open and he shot up. "Christmas!" His red eyes shone with tears as he wildly looked around the room, before relaxing. 'That's right... She's...' The boy rubbed at his eyes with one of his arms, using the other to curl around his knees and pull them close to himself.
"...who's Christmas?"
The pale pre-teen jumped and snapped his head up, just now noticing the hunched-over figure by his bed, staring at him curiously with dark-rimmed red eyes. Valentine let out a surprised shriek, subconsciously pushing himself backwards. The black-haired boy ending up falling off the bed and smacking his head onto the ground. His vision blurred. "W-Who...?"
"BB, what did you do?!"
Valentine turned his head quickly, able to make out his adoptive mother through his blackening vision. He heard the stranger speak again.
"I was coming to say hello to my new cousin... But it seems like I scared him instead." There was a pause. "I think he's passed out, auntie Friday."
---
The first Valentine noticed when he began to regain consciousness were the warm hands cradling his head, and the fingers running through his hair in a comforting manner. Then, he heard the two voices speaking.
"...so, you're going to be staying here for a while then?"
"Mmhmm~ I need a break from my parents... and to get away from my perfect dear brother for a while."
"Ah, I see. Well, you're welcome to stay. You're almost like a son to me after all." There was a laugh.
"...thank you."
Valentine groaned, slowly cracking open his eyes. The first thing he saw was Friday's face. The fingers stopped running through his hair when she noticed he was conscious.
"Valentine! Are you okay? You hit your head pretty hard..."
"M'fine..." Valentine's eyes roamed around the room. They were in the living room, he was lying on the couch beside Friday, his head was laying in her lap, and sitting in the chair was... Valentine stared at the hunched-over, black-haired teenager, who's eyes shifted over to lock with his when the person noticed his gaze.
Friday noticed. "Oh. Valentine, this is Beyond Birthday. He's my nephew... and your cousin now, I suppose."
Beyond inclined his head. "Hello."
Valentine nodded slowly, pushing himself up in a sitting position. "Hi..." He then noticed that the other male was... eating jam? With his hands, no less! "You're weird." Valentine said after a moment, tilting his head.
"And you're rude." Beyond licked the jam off of his fingers. "Still, it's nice to meet you."
Valentine giggled, nodding his head. "You too, I guess~" He blinked. "Hey, Birthday? Your eyes are red too?"
Beyond blinked, then shook his head. "Ah, no. I'm afraid not. These are contacts. My eye are gray." He looked at Valentine. "So, your's are natural then?" At Valentine's nod, he leaned forward in his chair. "How fascinating. I like them."
Friday laughed. "I know. They're pretty, aren't they?" She reached over and ruffled Valentine's hair.
Well, that was a first. Valentine blinked. 'They... like them?' He looked between the two as they talking. Feeling something land on his shoulder, and claws dig into his skin, he turned his head. Looking into Grim's wide eyes, he felt himself grin. 'Maybe Adriyan was wrong...' He looked back at Friday and Beyond and felt his grin widen.
---
Valentine found himself growing closer to his new family. He still teased and insulted Friday, but it wasn't with any malice or ill-intent. He grew accustomed to Grim's claws digging into his skin, and Beyond's random visits. He no longer had nightmares, and...
He no longer felt alone.
---
Beyond looked at Valentine when Friday excused herself from the room for a moment. "Her birthday's coming up soon, you know? Have you gotten her anything yet. my dear cousin?"
A whining noise escaped Valentine's lips, as the fifteen-year old slumped back into his chair. "Noooo~ Not yet. That woman's so hard to shop for, Birthday~" He turned towards his eighteen-year old cousin. "What do I doooooo?"
Beyond blinked and tilted his head. "Well, she did say something about a pocket watch she saw..."
Valentine stared at him. "A pocket watch...?" He grinned. "How boring~ Just like her, huh? I bet it's ugly too~ Friday's so weird, heehee~" His giggles were immediately joined by his cousin's snickers.
'A watch, huh...?'
---
"We're here, Valentine." Friday informed her adopted son as she stopped the car. She glanced out the car window at the store, wondering why the pale teenager wanted to come here.
"Stay in the car, I don't want to be seen with you, heehee~" Valentine said as he got out of the car. "It'd ruin my reputation." He headed into the store.
Friday blinked.
Soon, he returned, holding a bag. He looked at Friday expectantly. "Well, what are you waiting for? I'm hungry, let's go eat~!"
---
After they ate, as they were driving home, Valentine tossed the bag into Friday's lap.
"Huh?"
"What are you? Stupid?" he giggled at her confused expression. "Look inside~"
She did, keeping one hand on the wheel as she turned the bag upside down, dumping out it's contents onto her lap. She looked down quickly, but what was sitting there on her lap made her stare.
"It's ugly. I thought it's suit you, heehee~"
Friday looked over at Valentine, then back down at her lap. Laying there, ticking, sat the pocket watch she had told Beyond about. It was silver, with a cat design on it. "V... Valentine, how did you...?"
"Birthday told me~" The pale teenager's grin softened into a smile. "Happy birthday... mom."
Friday looked stunned. Then, after a moment, she smiled softly at her adopted son. "Valentine... Thank y‒"
There was the sound of tires screeching, before Valentine's world went black.
---
When he regained consciousness, he couldn't see out of his left eye. Something wet trickled down his cheek. He ignored it, looking around with a hazy red eye. "F-Friday...?" He briefly could hear sirens in the distance, and the faint sound of something ticking. "Wh... where are y‒" He froze.
There, with blood tricking down her face and splattered all over her, was Friday Thirteen. He skin was deathly pale.
Trembling, Valentine struggled to crawl over to her. "C-Come on..." He shook her shoulders, but she didn't respond. Valentine's lips trembled. "D-Don't do this to me! FRIDAY!" With a shaky sob, he flung his thin arms around Friday's shoulders, hugging her tightly. "I-I don't want to be alone... Not again... Not again..."
Tick tock tick tock...
"M-Mom..."
I promise you my heart, just promise to sing,
"Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep".
 Teh Random Kitsune · Sat Jan 01, 2011 @ 09:46pm · 2 Comments |
